Microsoft has updated its Xbox Live Code of Conduct with terminology that now allows gamers to include their sexual orientation in their Gamertag.

Gamers are now free to label themselves as Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Transgender or Straight, in a move GayGamer called “fantastic.”

While I can agree with it being 'fantastic' that people can now choose to list their sexual preferences as part of their Gamertag, I'm struggling to understand why this addition was so important, and I can see this potentially leading to an increase in cyber-bullying/harassment.

Ok, I posted something similar in our TOR forums when "gay" was censored on the Bioware forums:

I take no offense to this at all.

Xbox Live's policy was this: No gay or religious user names or information in your profile. Blizzard also does this, and does not allow LGBT guilds to form ontop of that.

Alot of affirmative action people or whatever they want to call themselves always get up in arms about this sort of thing, but in these cases I agree with the companies.

Straight, bi, lesbian, gay, etc are all rooted in sexuality. In their Terms of Service, is states that names/profiles/conduct/etc that relates to sexuality will not be tolerated because of its mature connotations in a community with varying ages.

Blizzard does not allow it for the same reason, and guilds that form under the LGBT banner and so on are also closed, and members given warnings/bans. This is because it not only expresses sexual tones, but it promoted prejudice on who is allowed to join based on sexuality.

I don't need to know how straight you are in your name or profile, nor do I like seeing religious/political user names. And, with that, I think a lot of people would prefer not to have me run around with a sign on my chest, nor anyone else.

As Astor said, all this really does in the end is promote cyber bullying. People made a big deal out of these lesbians, bisexuals, and gays having their profiles changed or shut off but what most forgot to mention is that these profiles were also receiving death threats via private message. While I have almost no respect for the moderators since they banned the victims and not the ones sending death threats, I understand why they shut down the blatant target.

You go in with a name like "IwubObama", "jesushatesyou", or "gaypride4ev" or, hell, even put "I'm lesbian and proud!" in your profile... don't be surprised at all at the amount of trolling, death threats, mark downs, etc you'll be getting on the worst internet gaming community ever maintained.

It should of remained banned. Terrible decision on their part that will bite the users, and moderators, in the ***.

While I can agree with it being 'fantastic' that people can now choose to list their sexual preferences as part of their Gamertag, I'm struggling to understand why this addition was so important, and I can see this potentially leading to an increase in cyber-bullying/harassment.

Thoughts?

Frankly, don't see much point in it either. TMI (just as your religion, politics or any fetish info would be also).

Now, I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor, dumb bastard die for his country.---Patton

There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism.---Teddy Roosevelt

I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception.---Groucho

And if you all get killed, I'll piss on your graves.---Shaman Urdnot

How would you like to own a little bit of my foot in your ass.---Red Foreman

Why in the world do I need my gamertag to say "OMG I'm straight!!!!!11!!eleventy-one!!11!!"
Who cares? Besides, it's none of anyone else's business whether I'm gay, straight, or in to purple-polka dot tribbles. I want my kids and me to play games, not think about someone's sexual orientation or political affiliation while they're in co-op play. We're gaming to escape reality, not have it shoved in our faces.
Here's a novel idea--let's keep sex of all kind in the bedroom instead of in our gaming?

From MST3K's spoof of "Hercules Unchained"--heard as Roman medic soldiers carry off an unconscious Greek Hercules on a 1950's Army green canvas stretcher: "Hi, we're IX-I-I. Did somebody dial IX-I-I?"

I hate to sound like a conspiracy guy, but isn't Microsoft in the process of rolling out some software for Live that takes into account how healthy you are based on what games you're playing and how long you're playing them? Wouldn't it be curious if Microsoft suddenly started to release "studies" on gamers demonstrating that people of certain sexual orientations are less mentally stable than others based on the fact that they played GTA4 all weekend?

"So if you go to Washington, it's buildings clean and nice. Bring a pack of matches...and we'll burn the White House twice!"

"Nobody's talking about extermination. No one ever does. They just do it." - Magneto

"Don't solicit for your sister, that's not nice, unless you get a good percentage of her price."

Yeah, just nice. Now instead of anonymity and privacy, people can now have a big target reticle painted on them. Watch, those wise to this aren't going to use the option.

I don't give a crap what you are or what you do in the bedroom, while I'm trying to concentrate on my game. No I don't care to "see your special data" either. I don't need to know that--all I need to know is "are you game?" and that's all.

Yeah, total expressionism at the cost of random people beating them down online via trolling as well as the static in real life. Oh yeah. That's just...such a smart idea.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Web Rider

I hate to sound like a conspiracy guy, but isn't Microsoft in the process of rolling out some software for Live that takes into account how healthy you are based on what games you're playing and how long you're playing them? Wouldn't it be curious if Microsoft suddenly started to release "studies" on gamers demonstrating that people of certain sexual orientations are less mentally stable than others based on the fact that they played GTA4 all weekend?

I believe I have heard the same thing being murmured about as well. It would only be a matter of time before all devices are "snitchers" of some kind or another.

I wonder if those "system check" features in the software and hardware are going to include other things in the future. I mean checking for hax or tampering/modding, etc. is one thing but TBH it almost sounds like someone is getting a really nice check from the government when you consider "studies" that might be released.

The FDA send a couple police to your door. "Sir, you have been fined $4000.00 for playing too much of this type of video game and for being overweight/underweight for one year."

As a parent, I also don't want some pervs scanning my kids' gamertags to find out if they're gay/straight/into purple polka-dotted tribbles. It's none of their damned business. It's bad enough that there's too much info out there already that can be used against kids.

From MST3K's spoof of "Hercules Unchained"--heard as Roman medic soldiers carry off an unconscious Greek Hercules on a 1950's Army green canvas stretcher: "Hi, we're IX-I-I. Did somebody dial IX-I-I?"

I agree with the group think, this was a bad idea. Nothing against LBGT's, but I honestly could care less about what someone's orientation is as I'm sniping them in Modern Warfare. I just don't see any positives, and looots of negatives.

I agree with the group think, this was a bad idea. Nothing against LBGT's, but I honestly could care less about what someone's orientation is as I'm sniping them in Modern Warfare. I just don't see any positives, and looots of negatives.

Oh boy, that just brought a wonderful idea to mind, now Microsoft can track how often you kill people of different sexualities than yourself. Can anyone say "big brother"? Just wait till you get a message on your e-mail from a LGBT group that says they're suing you for killing too many homosexual players.

also, I always thought LGBT sounded more like a burger than a rights group, like, Lettuce, Guacamole, Bacon and Tomato.

"So if you go to Washington, it's buildings clean and nice. Bring a pack of matches...and we'll burn the White House twice!"

"Nobody's talking about extermination. No one ever does. They just do it." - Magneto

"Don't solicit for your sister, that's not nice, unless you get a good percentage of her price."

Or another example, they might profile you based upon the online "partners" you have. So they have "data" on what type of person you are.

That might be ...interesting in a rather amusing way, were it not a floodgate to serious consideration how you might actually be criminally profiled in advance of any crime you may potentially commit. Come on, you know Homeland Spy-FascismSecurity would allow the government to use any leverage they could against you here in the U.S.A. because that's how it works.

We'll murder them all, amid laughter and merriment...except for the few we take home to experiment!

Too bad it could never be usable data since anyone can put whatever they want on their tag, and trust me on this as someone who has studied in depth into sexuality they wont give nearly enough options to even theoretically make any competent data.

I just don't see how orientation is relevant at all to gaming. Putting that sort of thing in your gamertag seems to serve only one of two purposes:
A: Waving your orientation in people's faces for no reason, in an attempt to make a game about your orientation, not the actual game.
B: As an insult to people with any given orientation.